Fitting



3 1946- LE ROY VAUGHT 2,413,089

FITTING Filed July 10, 1944 v f 7? 2/ INVEN TOR. aff JM ATTORNEYPatented Dec. 24, 1946 FITTING Le Roy Vaught, Inglewood, Calif;,assignor of onehalf to Roy W. Solomon, Inglewood, Calif.

Application July 10, 1944, Serial No. 544,155

1 Claim.

My invention relates to a means for producing an effective seal intransmitting lines used in the arts and industries for delivering fluidsunder high pressure. In the aeronautical field especially, it is of thegreatest importance that fluid tight and leak-proof connections beavailable, that they be maintained at all times and under the variousand severe conditions in which planes must operate and be handled, andthat they be capable of withstanding extreme pressures withoutsubjecting the connections to high torque pressure of a wrench.

Heretofore it has been customary to use rubber, fibre, wood, lead orother gaskets and devices interposed between the elements of a pipejoint using a union nut to produce a seal and to prevent injury toabutting surfaces by application of pressures that are .too high. Butthe employment of these aids has not avoided the liability of damage tthem when great wrench pressure is applied, nor has it yielded asatisfactory connection proof against leaks and capable of withstandinghigh pressure. Where the flaring type of tubing is used, the high torqueresulting from the use of a wrench to insure a tight connection has soinjured the flare by rupturing it or cracking it or damaging itotherwise that it is unable to hold pressure and prevent leaks.

This invention relates to afluid seal or pipe connection in which twoassociating parts may have a metal to metal contact to insure a sealunder very high pressures. The invention is applicable chiefly to thattype of tubing now almost generally used in aircraft in which the end tobe united in and by a union with a conduit is flaring.

One of the chief objects of this invention is to provide a simplefitting in which a seal between the joint may be effected and the jointtightened to a leak-proof pressure with a low wrench torque and withouthe use of gaskets or washers.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simple and efiicientseal for fluids in pipe or conduit connections in which the seal iseffected by a metal to metal contact and in which the seal is proofagainst rupture or disturbance by internal pressure and requires noexcessive wrench pressure to associate it in a line.

My invention also has for its objects to provide such means that arepositive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a workingposition and easily disconnected, economical of manu facture, simple andof general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details an 2 r arrangement of partswhich will appear more fully in the course of the following description.However, the drawing merely shows and the following description merelydescribes embodiments of the invention which are given by way ofillustration, or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters desig-r nate similar parts inthe several views.

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevational View showing an embodiment of myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a sleeve used in the embodiment of myinvention.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevational view of a modifled form of embodimentof my invention, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a sleeve used in the modified form of myinvention.

Referring in particular detail to the drawing, a union couplingconnection forming the subject of the present invention and constitutingthe design now most generally followed in aircraft construction, isshown as comprising a tubular conduit l0" fitted or provided at one endwith an axially bored body ll, having a nut portion 12 at one end, for awrench or other member, a nose or rounding abutment l3, projectingbeyond the other end of said body, and external threads I4. Aninternally hreaded union nut l5, engages the external threads M of saidbody 1! and by rotation is adjusted relatively .to and on said body ll.The union nut I5 is provided at one end with an inwardly directed flangeIS, the inner face of which is preferably dished or cupped, as'seen at Aand provides a seat for a tubular sleeve or thimble I! that fitsrelatively loosely upon or over a conduit element l8 which iscomplementary to the said tubular conduit ID with which it is to beassociated by connective pressure, as will appear later.

The sleeve or thimble i! has a radially extending portion [9, of adiameter greater than the inside diameter of said inwardly directedflange l6 and of greater cross-sectional area than that of its tubularportion, providing thereby a portion of increased weight and strengthand being thereby reinforced to withstand the pressure imposed upon it.The outer face of the portion 1 9 is curved or rounded, as seen at B andconforms to the shape and outline of the dished or cupped inner face Aof the inwardly directed flange l6 of the nut l5. The upper or innerface of said portion 19 is provided with an annular recess I9 inwardfrom the exterior of said radially extending portion l9, and the upperedge of said portion I9 is preferably inwardly beveled, as seen at 20.

The conduit element of any suitable material capable of withstandinghigh pressures, such as brass, copper, steel, or alloys, and that mayreadily be flared, is formed or provided at one end with a flare oroutwardly spread radially extended portion 2|, the outer face of whichis shaped to fit exactly the recess l9 in the radially extending portion19 of the sleeve or thimble and the inner face of which conform asexactly to the outline or contour of the nose or projection I3 of thebody H, which, as stated, is part of the tubular conduit [0. Bymanipulation of the union nut l5 or by wrench-operation thereof, saidnut is adjusted on the body I I and during such adjustment, the thrustseat A on the inwardly directed flange l6, engaging the outer face B ofthe radially extending portion IQ of the thimble or sleeve ll, moves it,together with the flared end 2| of the conduit element I8, which isseated in the recess l9, and which flared end is thereby brought intoabutting connection with the projection [3 of the tubular conduit [0InjFig. 1 it will be noted that the free end of the fiare or outwardlyextended radial portion 2] of the conduit element which, as seen, is inthe shape of a spherical concavity, extends beyond the inner line of thebevel '2ll,'in which the portion IQ of the thimble ill, terminates, andthat the exterior of the extended portion 22 is parallel with thelongitudinal axis of the conduit Ill and its companion element 18Similarly, the corresponding concavity of the tubular sleeve or thimble[1, which receives the flare of. the conduit element :8, is. formed withan internal annular'wall 23, between its concavity andits bed 6 6d edge2 6, and this internal annular wall 23 correspondswith the externaldiameter oi the extended portion 22 and provides a perfect" metal tometal fit and seal therebetween, which is augmented by the, extendedportion 22; which under pressure i forced outwardly'the more intimatelyto engage and aline with the internal annular wall 23 of. the thimble orsleeve.

Since the outside face of the flare 2|v of the conduit element i8 isfitted exactly. into the recess l9 in the thimble portion l9, and. the

inner face conforms exactly'to. the contour of the projection I3 on thetubular conduit, the connection pressure will insure a tight, leakproofjoint, without any danger or liability of rupturing or otherwiseinjuring. the. flare.

It will also beobserved that by this construction, none but a true axialalinement of the complementary parts forming the union is possible, thatthey are self seating, and that for this reason, the face to facecontact of the metal surfaces is a positive insurance for a perfect sealand a protection against distortive action of a wrench or other memberused to combine the associable elements.

The modified structure shown in Fig. 3 is in all major respectsidentical with that described in connection with Fig. 1. It differs fromthat form in that the body ll of the tubular conduit ll}, is providedwith a conical projection 24, and that the sleeve or thimble is providedwith a radially extending portion which has a tapering annular surface23, that is provided with a recess 24 The flare 25 of the conduitelement It! is conical and fits exactly into the recess. When so seated,the outer face of the flare is flush with the outer face of the radiallyextending portion 19 of the thimble or sleeve H and presents a smoothand uninterrupted face for connection abutment with the cone projectionof the tubular conduit.

While I have illustrated and described 'what I now regard as thepreferable embodiments of my invention, the constructions are of coursesubject to modification, without departing from the spirit and scope ofmy invention. I, therefore, do not wish to restrict myself to theparticular forms of construction illustrated and described,

but desire to avail myself of all modifications that may fall within thescope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

' A union connection, for a tubular conduit comprising in combinationwithan internally threaded nut having at one. end thereof an inwardlydirected flange. a tubing associated 'with said conduit andhavin g a.flaring, end of greater diajmeter than the inside diameter of saidflange, and an element on said tubing having; a flared endcorresponding, to the flare of said, tubing,

said flaredend having an annular recess in the face thereof to receive.and seat the flared end of said tubing flush with the. flared, end ofsaid element and form a seal against high pressure when the flared, endof said tubing is, moved-into abutting engagementwith said tubularconduit by said nut.

' ROY VAUGHT.

